Survey Results Revealed: FDs will vote against a Brexit

A majority of FDs will vote for the the UK to remain part of the European Union, the latest survey from FD Recruit has revealed.

We polled hundreds of finance directors and CFOs across a range of industries as part of our international trade study.

The survey found that 76% will vote to stay in the EU, and just 9% will vote to sever the ties. As many as 15% are still undecided with less than three months until the referendum, citing a lack of clear information given out by either side.

The survey also asked FDs which provided their strongest sales potential. Around three quarters (76%) marked the EU as a major export market, closely followed by North America (71%).

When asked to predict which regions were most likely to provide significant growth in export opportunities over the next five to ten years, North America was deemed to hold the most growth potential along with South Asia, with much optimism for Oceana too.

Respondents reported that the biggest factor in an attractive export market was minimal regulatory burden, according to 80% of those surveyed, with an untapped market scoring 68%.

Phil Scott, director of FD Recruit, said: “It is clear that UK businesses value the links with the European Union. Even those that feel the relationship is far from perfect can see that the country sits in a better position with its current trading agreements than having to negotiate again as an outsider.”

“Even with this strong affinity to the EU, it is interesting to see that most organisations predict the most growth potential originating from further afield. North America is an obvious trade partner with the UK due to the language and cultural similarities, but South Asia and Oceana are also clearly regions to watch closely in the coming years.”